Well, it’s that time of year again when a lot of people think about what changes they want to make in their life. Lots of people make resolutions related to their physical health, like losing weight, starting an exercise program, or quitting smoking. Some set educational or career goals, say, to go back to school and finish a degree, earn a certification, or get a new job or promotion. Maybe you want to improve yourself as a person — quit a bad habit, learn a new skill or hobby, or travel somewhere you’ve always wanted to go. But have you thought about making a resolution that will profit your soul or help you to grow spiritually? Continue reading “A New Year’s Resolution for the Soul”
Category: Devotional reading
Comfort in the Arms of an All-Sovereign God: Who’s Your Father?
With Father’s Day upon us once again, my thoughts went to a friend who recently lost her dad, whom she loved very much. I lost my own dad over 25 years ago and miss him being in my life all of those years. But not everyone has close ties with and fond memories of their father. Some people grow up never even knowing or having much of a relationship with their dad, which is heartbreaking. Regardless of what your relationship to your own dad has been like, we can all agree that no father is perfect; every earthly dad has his flaws and makes his share of mistakes, albeit some more than others.
However God is a perfect, holy, loving Father to His children, and He has promised to be a Father to the fatherless. The question is – who are His children? Is every person in fact a child of God? No matter who are you are – He is your God and He is your Creator, whether you acknowledge Him as such or not. Many like to think of God as being their Father without really knowing much about Him or spending time with Him. God is not whatever you want or think Him to be. He is who He has declared Himself to be, and He has revealed Himself to us in His Word, the Bible, and through His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.
So let me to ask you to consider: Who is your Father? Seems like a fitting time to reshare some thoughts on the book by this same title that I reviewed a few years ago.
Who’s Your Father?: Returning to the Love of the Biblical God
by Robert Bernecker
“What is neglected by most Christians today is the comforting, awe-inspiring truth of our God’s sovereignty, his great love for each of us, and the eminent trustworthiness of his eternal purpose, which includes each of us in infinite detail. This negligence robs us of our real joy and comfort in our Father who loves us, chooses us, redeems us, and perfects us.”“A ‘god’ whose will is resisted, whose designs are frustrated, whose purpose is checkmated, possesses no title to Deity, and so far from being a fit object of worship, merits naught but contempt.” (A. W. Pink, The Attributes of God)
Last year I was contacted by the author of Who’s Your Father?Robert Bernecker, who asked me if I’d read and review his book, which he had recently published. He was…
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A New New Year’s Challenge: Learn a Catechism!
Happy 2018 Everyone!
Every year at this time, I typically challenge my readers to consider reading through the entire Bible during the coming year. As I’ve said before, the Bible is not a book that is meant to be read once, then checked off a reading list and set back on the shelf. I have made it my habit to read through the whole annually for probably about 20 years or so. There are many One Year Bibles
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The Devil is Real: Spiritual Warfare in a Believer’s Life
Spiritual Warfare in a Believer’s Life
by Charles Spurgeon
by Charles Spurgeon
“Behold your adversary. Though you cannot see his face and detect his form, believe that such a foe withstands you. He is not a myth, nor a dream, nor a superstitious imagination. He is as real a being as ourselves…I hate the devil worse and worse every day, and I have vowed, if it is possible by preaching the Word of God, to seek to shake the very pillars of Satan’s kingdom.”
Whatever the number of people is who don’t believe that there’s a God, I suspect the number who don’t believe the devil is real is even higher. The world in general doesn’t seem to take Satan too seriously, often lumping him into the same category as vampires and zombies. We see this evident in the growing number of TV programs and movies about the supernatural. On the other hand, amongst Christians, either the topic of demonic activity is almost ignored, or it’s given too much attention and credit. C. S. Lewis commented,
There are two equal and opposite errors into which our race can fall about the devils. One is to disbelieve in their existence. The other is to believe, and to feel an excessive and unhealthy interest in them. They themselves are equally pleased by both errors.
Continue reading “The Devil is Real: Spiritual Warfare in a Believer’s Life”
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A Dying Man’s Last Words: The Seven Sayings of the Saviour on the Cross
The Seven Sayings of the Saviour on the Cross
by Arthur W. Pink
“The Death of Christ was unique, miraculous, supernatural …Hearken to the words which fell from His lips while He hung upon the cross—words which inform us of the purpose, the meaning, the sufferings, and the sufficiency of the Death Divine.”
by Arthur W. Pink
Have you ever been in the presence of someone who is on their death bed, at the side of someone who knows he or she will very soon leave this life? Particularly someone with whom you’ve had a long-lasting relationship or care deeply about? The closest I’ve come to experiencing this is in 2008 when my father-in-law, Joe, was gravely ill in the hospital. It was actually Easter weekend when our family decided we should drive to Phoenix to see him (9 years ago now!). My husband and I and our three children (ages 14-18 at the time) each wrote a personal letter that we read to him. Joe wasn’t able to talk with us, but we know that he was aware and could understand all that we shared with him. After having attended a local church on Easter Sunday, we learned that the Lord, in His perfect timing, had taken Joe to be with Him. Continue reading “A Dying Man’s Last Words: The Seven Sayings of the Saviour on the Cross”
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Everything Happens for a Reason: All Things for Good
All Things for Good
by Thomas Watson
“God does not deal alike with all; He has trials for the strong and cordials for the weak…If God does not give you that which you like, He will give you that which you need.”
by Thomas Watson
With a full-time, M-F job, I really value my Saturdays to get stuff done. Today was one of those Saturdays for which I had plans that included helping my husband paint a bedroom and running three miles. But as the saying goes, “Man proposes, but God disposes,” and I somehow managed to throw my back out early in the day such that I realized I wasn’t going to be able to do some of the things I intended to. But it occurred to me that instead I could write and publish a review this weekend, which I’ve been wanting to do for a while, so apparently “everything happens for a purpose,”as they say. Continue reading “Everything Happens for a Reason: All Things for Good”
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